Ever since Harvest Moon made farming simulators cool back in the day, most games in this genre have always taken place in a far off country village where the player would usually inherit a farmland from a deceased relative, usually the player’s grandfather.
However, a new indie farming simulator seeks to change the traditional setting by letting players run their farms on a tropical island instead. The Islander gives players more control on the environment by letting you design the island from the very beginning. Players who opt not to customize their own island can also let the game generate one automatically, but c’mon, where’s the fun in that?
Of course, even though the game takes place in a slightly different environment, the mechanics are still pretty much the same with other farming simulator games. Players can harvest crops, earn money, customize their farm island and get help from little assistants known in this game as “cocobots.” As players gain experience points and increase their level, they can unlock several new crops, plants, animals, and decorations for the farm. Check out some screenshots of the game below:
Looking at the game’s official description on Steam, it seems like The Islander is taking a page from Stardew Valley’s book, as the objective of The Islander is to give players a relaxing, laid-back gameplay “designed to ease your mind and soul.” Furthermore, The Islander “is not a game that requires fast fingers or sharp reflexes.” As a big fan of farming simulator games ever since I was a kid, The Islander seems like a pretty interesting game to try, especially considering the fact that it has an 87% positive rating on Steam. The Islander is available for $2.99.
What do you think of this game? Is running a farm on a tropical island appealing to you? Let us know what you think of it.
